Andy's Sunday tips - Arsenal to claim win
Don't leave the sofa on Sunday afternoon because there are three terrific matches to watch. I'll be watching the lot myself and this is how I think they'll pan out...
Liverpool v Newcastle
Liverpool seem to be getting better and better under Kenny Dalglish and even though last week's 5-0 hammering of Birmingham was a bit of a freak result, the truth is they're simply playing with a lot more confidence.
Kenny has his side playing with greater freedom and they have a nice blend of youth and experience at the moment; some of the youngsters he's brought into the team may have been relatively unknown to most football fans but they'll know about them now.
The impression I get is that Dalglish is already preparing the team for next season to some extent and I expect guys like John Flanagan, Jack Robinson and Jay Spearing to be a big part of his plans for the future.
I've heard a few rumours that teams like Liverpool and Spurs would actually rather not finish fifth because they don't want to be playing in the Europa League next season. I don't buy that at all and even if some managers choose to rest some of their best players in that competition, it at least gives them a chance to give some other guys a game.
In summary, I think Liverpool will be desperate to win as many matches as possible from now till the end of the season and try to carry that momentum into next campaign. It will also send their opponents the message that they mean business next year.
Newcastle have been okay so far since Alan Pardew took over but getting anything out of this match looks a pretty tall order. I don't expect a hammering like Birmingham got last week but I'd be very surprised if the home team don't come good.
Recommended Bets:
Back Liverpool to win at [1.53]
Back Liverpool to win 2-0 at [9.0]
Back Liverpool to keep a clean sheet at [2.3]
Arsenal v Manchester United
If this were a normal game earlier on in the season, the smart money would be on the draw. But this isn't a normal game. Manchester United have all but sewn up the title and will believe that as long as they don't lose at home to Chelsea next week, they will have done enough to steal the Premier League away from the Blues.
Then there's that second leg against to Schalke to think about. The Betfair odds of [1.02] suggest it's a done deal after that superb 2-0 win on Tuesday but stranger things have happened before and the Germans' 5-2 thrashing of the defending champions Inter at the San Siro will be on Sir Alex's mind. Therefore, I think he'll put out a decent team but he'll still have one eye on the midweek match.
As for Arsenal, it's all gone horribly wrong once again and there will be those suggesting Arsene Wenger's time is up and that a new face should be brought in.
That's a discussion for another day but I do believe that the players will be a lot more fired up for this game than they have been in recent weeks against other opposition. Motivation is one of those buzzwords of modern day football but it makes a huge difference at this level.
The Gunners have been in good positions over these last three matches that have yielded just two points and this could end up being the game where they actually turn a winning position into a win.
It's not often I like taking on Manchester United but at the current prices, these might just be the right circumstances to do so.
Recommended Bets:
Back Arsenal to win at [2.7]
Back Arsenal to win 2-1 at [12.0]
Back both teams to score at [1.73]
Manchester City v West Ham
This would be most people's idea of a home banker and you can see why. Manchester City are peaking at just the right time with that FA Cup Final coming up and time running out for Spurs to fight back and regain that fourth spot.
As for West Ham, I think a lot of their fans will already be thinking about another season in the Championship. They're running out of time to save their season and they also appear to be running out of ideas.
This really does look like the good thing this weekend but I wouldn't put it past West Ham denying their hosts another clean sheet.
Recommended Bets:
Back Manchester City to win at [1.43]
Back Manchester City to win 2-1 at [9.4]
Back over 2.5 goals at [1.84]
Birmingham v Wolves
This midlands derby has draw written all over it, so that's what we've got to be going with.
Recommended Bets: Back the draw at [3.4]; 1-1 at [7.6]
Andy Gray is now on Twitter so follow him for his exclusive tips and his take on the biggest stories in football each week.
Published: 30 Apr 2011
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